I sent esteemed fanartist and forumgoer O'Neill a few scans from one of the SF1 worldbooks. I was going to wait until he had them all done, but I guess no harm in posting it in chunks. Here's what we got so far. And thanks to Cull for sending me the scans to begin with. : )

[Shining Force -- Formation Diagram]

[The courageous Warriors of Light who stand against the Forces of Darkness]

The hero, Max, sets off on a journey as if guided by the hand of fate.
The one who challenges the forces of darkness will be joined by his
friends, and together they will come to be called the Shining Force.
However, this is not to say that they are a military organization like
the Runefaust Army; they are more like a gathering of comrades who all
share the same goal.

[A youth who will at times display capabilities that even he is unaware of]

A youth who possesses impressive swordplay skills. While he belongs to
the human race--which is said to fall behind physically--those combat
maneuvers are such that even centaurs cannot hope to compete.

He is not a native of Guardiana. He was found collapsed on the beach
after having washed ashore, and was rescued by Lowe. He has lost his
memories, but his physical bearing is fairly accustomed to combat
maneuvers. His skills are enough to astonish even the Royal Knights.

[Making use of his ability as a quick learner, assign him to deliver
the finishing blow]

As a swordsman, his strong points are attacks that make use of his
impressive swordplay skills. At first he has some problems in areas
like defense and agility, but thanks to his rapid growth, it's likely
that these things will soon become nothing to worry about. The growth
of his combat prowess is extremely rapid, more than his physical
appearance would suggest. Rather than putting him in the vanguard and
having him push deep into enemy lines, it may be best to use him for
follow-up attacks that deliver big damage to the enemy. He doesn't
hold up well against concentrated attacks, so take special care.

[The Enigmatic, Hotshot Swordsman]

====
p.10
====

[His uncentaur-like playfulness is his defining characteristic]

While a member of the Guardiana Royal Knights, he is still an
apprentice. Even within the Knights, he is the youngest and is treated
as a little brother by Mae. He has a good-natured disposition, which
is rare among the proud and noble centaur race. Seeing the hero's
swordmanship, Ken truly looks up to him. However, because he secretly
has a crush on Mae, he never allows this hero-worship to show on the
surface.

[You'll want to develop his abilities, taking one battle at a time]

He hasn't much HP at first, so he'll be weak against enemy attacks.
Strike at the enemy with a play style that makes use of his mobility
and offensive strength. He's still young, so he grows quickly. You'll
want to raise him up to be a member of your main fighting force. His
HP growth in particular is remarkable, and he will probably grow to be
#1 in your party. Having him act as a shield should also be part of
your strategy. Just bear in mind that his defense does not grow very
much.

[A guy who lives cheerfully and has a good time, even in the midst of
a dark and gloomy world]

Cheerful and good humored, he has an air of naivete about him. (This
is something of a guess as the last kanji in this sentence is rather
blurred by the gutter, but I think this is the most logical
construction.) He has a reckless and irresponsible side as well, and
his personality is not particularly suited for a warrior.

The story of how such a person came to be a warrior is this: when he
was very young (another guess here, but I don't think anything but
"osanai" would make sense given the context) he was attacked by a
monster, and was saved by a dwarven warrior. As a result, he became
enraptured with the gallant figure of the warrior.

It was a fairly half-baked reason, but when he steps onto the
battlefield, his personality undergoes a complete change, and he'll
show you a vicious fight.

[His initial worth is high, but his growth is slow--a late-bloomer type]

Being a warrior, his agility is unreliable, but aside from that, his
stats are extraordinarily high. Because his attack and defense are
especially high, he's a character you'll want to give a lot of action
on the front lines. However, his growth in all stats is slow. There
may be times when he proves ineffective in the midst of a battle. His
HP is the only stat that will grow steadily, so rely on his HP and
have patience so he can grow. If you take the time to level him, he
should be a lot of fun after promotion. (Literally, "If you bring him
up/raise him, the second half should be fun.")

[The Man Who Doesn't Like Fighting]

[You'll want him to aim suppressive fire from behind his allies]

As an archer, ranged attacks are his specialty. You'll want to have
him take his turns while keeping him behind your close-combat
characters. None of his stats is all that low, but he doesn't have any
particular strong points either. He has a good attack stat, but
because his weapons are lacking in power, you probably can't hope for
much. He's weak against enemy attacks, so he ought to stick to an
entirely supportive role. He has a steep learning curve that starts
out low, so it's best to level him at a slow but steady pace.

[A thoroughgoing pacifist, whatever anyone else may say]

An archer in the Guardiana Army. Though he is a regular soldier, he
does not like fighting. He has the sort of personality that always
chooses peace, rather than hurting others and being hurt by them.
Because he has this sort of personality, he has been mercilessly
derided by his fellow archers. However, his skill with a bow is
unfaltering, and it's the only thing that even the other archers can't
help but admire.

He has average stats for a priest. His magical ability is average as
well. If you level him, he will learn spells one after another. The
speed at which he learns spells is neither fast nor slow, but at any
rate, he will eventually master quite a few spells. You can count on
Lowe for status magic that other priests are unable to use very
efficiently. He's someone that you'll definitely want to stay back
during boss battles and such.

[His inner self clashes with his external appearance]

He trained as a novice in the Church of Guardiana in order to become a
priest. While taking a stroll along the beach near town, he discovered
the hero on the verge of death and carried him back to the Church.
From then on, the hero came to live at the Church, and he and Lowe
became best friends who did everything together. When the hero decided
to enlist as a soldier, Lowe volunteered to accompany him. He is
extremely sarcastic and tends to be too familiar with others, but he
is a kind-hearted person. He's the easily misunderstood type, but that
doesn't seem to bother him too much.

[Unrecognized Thoughtfulness Is His Specialty]

====
p.14
====

[A gentle girl who has pledged her loyalty to Guardiana]

She used to be a maid in Guardiana Castle, but upon having her talent
recognized, she began studying magic with Princess Anri as well. When
Anri went away to Manarina to study further, Tao became the sole mage
at the castle. Tao's personality is the exact opposite of Anri's, as
she is a gentle type who feels everything very deeply. She is an
extremely polite person as well. Her personality is also the exact
opposite of her elder sister, Diane, who joins the Force later.

[A useful character who is able to adapt herself to the needs of the
moment, whether they be for offense or support]

She has high HP, which is unusual for a magic-user, but her defense
and similar are about as low as you would expect. You'll want to keep
her from being hit by the enemy.

Her magical powers are somewhat different from other magic-users. The
only offensive magic that she is able to use is the Blaze family. By
pouring all her energy into the study of Blaze, she will be able to
master it to the fullest extent. Aside from that, she learns a good
deal of status magic that few other people are able to use.

[A stout-hearted woman who can't be truly honest, hindered as she is
by the wall of her pride]

A prototypical member of the centaur race. Her haughtiness would be
considerable even under ordinary circumstances, but as the daughter of
Lord Varios--leader of the Knights--her pride knows no bounds.

She used to bear antipathy toward the hero, whose swordplay skills are
exceptional despite his belonging to the so-called inferior human
race. After fighting in the same troop with him, she gradually came to
acknowledge the hero's worth. That she can't simply come out and admit
this appreciation is very like her.

[You'll want to level her with all your might and make her a part of
your main fighting force]

Just like a young girl, moving around is her strong point. Because she
has exceptional move and agility stats, you'll want to give her a lot
of action as an essential member of your swift attack force. Her
attack and defense stats will be lower, so it's recommended that you
have her team up with several other members of the Force. Because she
grows steadily, she will eventually become a cornerstone of your
troops. Her HP growth is slow, but because her initial HP is high,
this probably isn't something you need to worry much about.

[With his top-notch ability to take a hit, he rushes on ahead of the pack]

Because his attack and defense stats are so high, it's probably best
to let him use a fighting style that allows him to chop the enemy
lines to pieces. His agility is lacking, but his mobility is enough to
allow him to make a rapid advance.

His stats grow steadily, keeping pace with his level, but he gains
defense quickly. He'll become extremely good at taking hits, so he's a
character you can use either to lead your troops into battle or to act
as a decoy.

[He's turned over a new leaf, casting off his past and starting over again]

He was once a Royal Warrior. He was the strongest of the warriors, and
his name was legendary. At present he is retired and living with his
daughter, granddaughter, and dog. However, he hasn't forgotten his
former glory and now leads a liquor-soaked life, visiting the pub in
order to grumble.

However, when his family is killed by the Runefaust Army, he comes to
understand that he can't do anything all on his own. Having come to
his senses, Gort joins the hero's troops.

[The Amiable Old Man Who Loves His Family]

====
p.17
====

[A man who steeled his heart and cut ties with his people]

A monk who was continuing on his journey to temper his body and soul.
Midway through his journey, he happened to encounter the Force and
joined up with them. Shy and polite, he has a conscientious
personality and is therefore trusted by his comrades. Like the other
members of the giant race, he once passed day after day looting and
pillaging, but a certain event caused him to reform. It's said that he
became a monk as a means of atonement.

[For as long as his level remains low, negligence is forbidden]

He is tempering his body along with his spirit, so his physical
strength and attack are better than a priest's, but he can only use
basic restorative magic. His attack stat is extremely high, but
because he must fight bare-handed, he is weaker than the warriors. His
defense is lower than a priest's when he first starts out, which means
that you shouldn't put him on the front lines. Once he reaches a
certain level, have him engage in full-fledged combat.

(Gong's bio is a little strange. Sometime his occupation is written as
"MONKU," which is the phonetic rendering of the English word "monk."
Other times it's written as "souryo," which is a Japanese word for a
Buddhist priest/monk. Now, given his austere journey of spiritual
enlightenment, "monk" is probably the more typical translation for
"souryo". But in the context of Shining Force, it feels like it maybe
should be "priest" instead. After all, the Force's healers are all
classed as "souryo," and it also seems like the writers intended to
differentiate it from the Monk class when they use it for Gong. Just,
it sounds a little odd referring to him as a "Journeying Priest.")

A personal aide to the princess of Alterone, she is a priest by
occupation. A girl-next-door type, but she is extremely introverted.
Among the Force, her personality most resembles that of Tao, but Khris
is much more reserved. She had a timid personality to begin with, but
recently something--perhaps her continual torment at the hands of the
wicked princess--has spurred her to withdraw even further. She is an
extremely subdued girl.

She learns magic extremely quickly, and she acquires a command of
advanced magic at lower levels than other priests do. Like Lowe, she
learns both restorative and status magic, but as healing is her
specialty, she is superior to Lowe in that area. She gains extensive
knowledge of both Heal, which restores health to a single ally, and
Aura, which can restore health to all allies. She has no agility, so
she will be the last person to receive her turn in a round.

A mage who prides herself on all forms of offensive magic. She excels
at Freeze magic in particular, and no one is better suited to it than
she is.

Rather than assisting others, she's at her best when using tactics
that have her run sheer into the enemy for the attack. However, her
defense is extremely low, and her HP is low as well, so she is unable
to withstand enemy attacks. Have her move around and attack while
keeping behind someone else.

[A woman of character who represses her emotions and acts in
accordance with reason]

The princess of Guardiana. As the first child, she has the most
legitimate claim to the throne. She has an excellent talent for magic,
which is rare among the people of Guardiana, and so she set off for
Manarina to study.

Because she will inherit the throne someday soon, she has a stout
heart and a cool head. She never allows herself to be swept away by
emotion, and she comes to take a position alongside the hero as a
leader of the Shining Force.

[The Beautiful Princess Who Carries Herself With the Majesty of the
Royal Family]

Have to read them through later, though as you may expect I zipped down to read Khris's. I'm now feeling a bit surprised an irksome, seeing as how it confirms the meek and reserved ROTDD portrayal of her, as opposed to the more active and spunkiy impression I interpreted from LOGI. That flips things on the head quite a bit. Odd that it says "she has no agility", seeing as she's one of the characters who seems to gain bounds of the stat on a regular basis.

In regards to Gong, I always thought he was a Half-Giant, rather than a full Giant.

If I recall, I thought I heard somewhere that the plot of RotDD is a more faithful translation of the story of LoGI, with the exception of the additional characters and chapters, of course. I might have to pick up on the translation of LoGI, if I can find an original script somewhere.

Omega Entity @ Sat Mar 06, 2010 5:44 pm) wrote: If I recall, I thought I heard somewhere that the plot of RotDD is a more faithful translation of the story of LoGI, with the exception of the additional characters and chapters, of course. I might have to pick up on the translation of LoGI, if I can find an original script somewhere.

Genrally speaking yes, though I'd still be suprised if the way the ending and the explanation behind the origin of Max, Kane and Darksol wasn't part of the original story.

There's a sticky thread with a work-in-progress translation of the Japanese script, and it does confirm some of the things that happened in ROTDD were part of LOGI.

Culley O'Fursdom @ Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:00 pm) wrote: There's a sticky thread with a work-in-progress translation of the Japanese script, and it does confirm some of the things that happened in ROTDD were part of LOGI.

Yep, I know. I would need to get my hands on the Japanese script, though, if I were to add on to it.

Tao & Diane are sisters? I do seem to have some vague recollection of this being mentioned somewhere. Isn't it in the game itself, when you meet Diane?
*checks script*
Ah, no. That's a mention about Diane's (so probably also, Tao's) mother.

IIRC, Wendy in SFCD is also Tao's (younger) sister.

Thanks for the translation. I'll have a full read of it when I get the chance Hopefully when the SFC redesign/CMS is ready we can get all this extra stuff up on the site